


A Hop, A Jump, and A Skip

by ToxicAngel13



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Cannon!Eleven/River mentioned, Episode: s02e13 Doomsday, F/M, Multi, Post-Episode: s04e13 Journey's End, Slight Ten Bashing, Time Travel Fix-It, TimeLady!Rose, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 14:48:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21459790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToxicAngel13/pseuds/ToxicAngel13
Summary: When their forever doesn't match up, John Noble (Once known as the Metacrisis Doctor) is left to find a way to get his wife to safety. Pete's World isn't safe for her anymore, and he can't leave her alone there once he is gone. Injured, and aware that his walk on the slow road is ending, he tries something brilliant but stupid and succeeds. But this is only the beginning.If You are viewing this on an app that has any sort of ad or subscription fee, please exit and use the website. That app? It's monetizing the works the writers of AO3 provide for free. It jeopardizes fanfiction everywhere.
Relationships: Metacrisis Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Ninth Doctor/Jack Harkness/Rose Tyler, Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Comments: 57
Kudos: 108





	1. Taking a Leap of Faith

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Alright, I was looking through my Hard Drive of Doom and found this gem that I started last year as a writing block buster. It's sticking around and I'm on a Dr. Who reading kick, so I thought I would share it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, or it's characters. I'm just borrowing them :)
> 
> You can find my Writing Corner by following this invite (AKA Copy the link before into your address bar and hit enter)  
https://discord.gg/aeRNa28
> 
> Anonymous comments have been enabled again, please don't comment prompts for other fandoms on this story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 11/28/2019: I found a couple errors, and placed that I had expanded on in my head that didn't make it onto the document. That's been fixed. :)

John Noble lived a long life, saving an alternate Earth many times over during it. Of course without a Tardis his life was limited in many ways, but one thing that never changed was his Rose. Quite literally. As he walked the slow path, she walked alongside him- always the 20 year old that had looked into the heart of his Tardis and destroyed a good portion of the Dalek race to save him. And as the years passed people took notice of the fact that she wasn't changing, and in not so good ways.

Pete protected his not quite daughter for a long time, and John took up the charge after he could no longer do so. But as the former Time Lord grew older, the ones who wanted Rose for their own purposes became bolder in their attempts to take her to their labs. So John, knowing that once his slow walk was over the Time Lady who walked beside him would be alone and in danger- with no way to escape the ones who were after her, worked on a device in his later years. One that he never told her about, could never tell her about because he knew that she would not agree with the cost of using it.

  
He knew, even then that it would kill him- there was no doubt about it, but if he succeeded than his death would be worth it. This timeline would cease to exist, and Rose would be safe with his younger self. The one who would look for the things that his tenth should have. Nine would know about the Gift that Bad Wolf gave herself while she held the heart of the Tardis and burned the Daleks, John had no doubt about it because of one reason. His Ninth incarnation had been sharper, more observant in so many ways, due to his body had been born in the aftermath of war. Unlike Ten who had been born in the aftermath of desperation and love, and had been idiot enough to resist the happiness he could have had with Rose. Ten had been forever hurting Rose, by swanning off with other woman and never being able to say the three words she had needed to hear from him. That couldn’t happen again if he was going to make it so history didn't repeat, so John had to get his timing right. He needed a certain, no he needed the right Doctor to be able to pull this off.

  
John Noble, Metacrisis to the Doctor, ended his life one rainy day. He took the plunge only after he wasn’t able to move fast enough to stop himself from being shot. It would only get worse from here on- with Rose devoting her attention to helping him heal she would be less aware of her surroundings and he couldn’t’ have that. He couldn't be the reason that she spent the rest of her long life in a lab, dying and regeneration to the whims of power hungry humans. So while she was out trying to secure supplies to help him heal, he activated the device that he carried on his person at all times. It hurt, worse then the gunshot had, but he forced himself to focus on the one moment that would change it all. He spared the woman that his future self would have married but a thought as he felt himself torn from his body. River had been but a consolation prize at best and a duty at worst from what he understood, and the Doctor who would forget Rose would be no more. He was sure of it.

* * *

  
Seeing Rose, bathed in gold, still sent a sliver of fear through the metacrisis it seemed. Even if he knew that one way or another this would turn out well and not with her frying from the power, but he had chosen this moment for a reason. This was the time where his pink and yellow goddess had seen all of time… had remade herself and Jack so that they could give him forever. And this was the only point where his desperate attempt change and entire timeline would be able to work. Due to the power coursing though her, the Bad Wolf would be able to see him and hopefully she would listen to what he had to say. He moved closer to Rose, knowing his younger self would not be able to see him, and he felt when she went to jerk Jack back to life. This was the first change that he had to make, for both his younger self and Rose. Remembering the pain his other self had felt around the man after this... He didn't want his younger self to lose this man either.

  
“Gently now love, craft the life you give him into what you see for us. Don’t fix him to a single point or he will be lost to us forever just as he is now. It will hurt me to be around him in the beginning, and later it will hurt you. Once the changes you've made to yourself mature.” He spoke softly, standing in her line of vision to catch her attention. In making sure that he was standing in her line of sight he knew that her head would not turn and alert Nine that something else was at work here. It wouldn't do to have the other man trying to stop him after all. When her eyes drifted to him, he heard his younger self tell her that she had to let it go, fear for her clear in his voice.

  
He knew what came next, and knew he had to speak again and try to convince her to let the Vortex go on her own. John’s plan’s centered on this version of himself being alive for a while yet, for him to guide her through the changes she had brought onto herself. The two of them… they had fallen in love already even if he was too stubborn to admit it. They knew each other, trusted each other in ways that would make sure what happened in his timeline wouldn’t be repeated. His next self had to start over with Rose in a way and that along with the botched regeneration had allowed her changes to herself during this time to go unnoticed. Had allowed the next one to re-harden the walls that this final act had broken down in this incarnation. And most importantly, this version of himself deserved more time with Rose. Time he could give if she heeded his warning. John could only hope that warning her that her Doctor would be harmed by taking the energy would be enough to make the woman let the power that was overwhelming her go. If this failed then he didn't know what to do next.

  
“Listen to him, and don’t you dare let him kiss you until it’s all out Rose. I’ve lived this. He kisses you to take the Vortex out and then you lose him, and he takes on another incarnation, the one I come from. He dies to save you from something you are not ready to handle. The changes you’ve made to yourself have not matured and won’t for a long time yet. Keeping the vortex will kill you and he loves you too much to let that happen even if he may not admit it to himself yet. And my next self… He misses the changes you’ve made to keep your promise of forever. And so much suffering is had because of it.” He encouraged, a desperate tone in his voice that he wasn't ashamed to admit was there. Her eyes landed on him, and she seemed to struggle to understand what he had told her. But as the Doctor rose from the ground, she looked back at him before taking a step, then another backward- towards the Tardis and putting space between her beloved doctor and her. She couldn’t let him kill himself saving her after she had protected him.

  
“I understand now, and I can not let you die in my place My Doctor.” The eerie dual voice that marked her bonding with the Vortex echoed though the room. “I need to let it go, so the stars stop hurting and I will not lose you.” The Ninth Doctor's relief was John’s own. It was working. She was listening, and the chances that he was actually making the changes that he wanted to were growing. Rose wasn't going to be doomed to be trapped in Pete's World with their scientists picking her apart.

  
“That’s it my precious girl. Just a few more steps then let it go.” Nine encouraged, keeping his voice level even though his panick was clear to anyone who saw it and wasn't holding the Vortex. John sighed heavily, feeling completely drained. He needed this to work so his Rose's suffering never happened, or his death would mean nothing.

  
‘She will always be a part of me. I am singular, created by myself for one man. Her memories will never die, and what she has learned in your perils will be her boon for her trials.’ John heard echo in his mind, and his heart broke just a little. Rose would still know what he had prevented, she would have the memories of people chasing them, shooting him. He hadn't wanted that. ‘I thank you my human Doctor, for the sacrifice you have made to correct a mistake that I could not foresee. Your love will never be forgotten, do not lose hope. I will keep every one of my dear Doctor’s safe from harm.’ He watched as Rose exhaled, willingly letting go of the Vortex that was killing her in order to save Nine.

As the last of it left her she collapsed, and Nine caught her on her way down. He watched his younger self lower her to the ground, holding her tightly to his chest as he reassured himself that she had let the vortex go, and was still alive. John could remember the fear he had felt that day, so he wouldn’t begrudge his younger self this moment. Before, he had felt himself dying by this point. There hadn't been time to worry.

  
“You stubborn, beautiful woman. You coulda killed yerself pulling this off. Never again. I can't have ya die fer me Rose” Nine muttered, kissing the top of her head, inhaling her smell, and reassuring himself that she was still there. John felt like a peeping tom as he rested his unseen self against the Tardis, feeling his time ending. He didn’t know what would happen when it did, and it turned out he didn’t have to. Not long after he ‘touched’ the Tardis he.. fell for better lack of terms and knew nothing more then his beloved machine’s song. At least that was all for the foreseeable future.

* * *

  
Jack skidded into the control room where he had left Rose and the Doctor half expecting to see no one there, considering he remembered dying and had no idea how much time had passed. They may have left him, because there was no way that the Doctor hadn't realized what happened to him. Instead he saw two forms on the ground, and the Doctor looked up from where he was holding a hopefully unconscious Rose. The former Time Agent saw relief in his blue eyes, which made him assume that whatever was wrong with Rose wasn’t serious. If she was dying or dead, there would be other emotions shining through. He had come back from the dead, so thier pink and yellow girl couldn’t be dead herself right?. He came closer, feeling sick to his stomach as he took in thier companion’s unmoving body, even if she was alright seeing her like this felt wrong.

  
“Is she alright?” He forced himself ask, when the words wouldn’t come out on their own because he was afraid of the answer. The Doctor’s eyes hardened as he looked back down at the Blonde, before stroking her hair.

  
“I sent her home, tricked her into going into the Tardis and used the Sonic to initiate transport. But the silly girl found her way back to us. She looked into the Tardis’ heart Jack. She looked into it, and then she saved us all. Brought you back to life even. But even when it was killing her she wasn’t going to let it go, not until she saw something that made her understand that if she didn’t do it herself that I would help, and I wouldn’t have this daft face for much longer if that happened. We’ve got to get her inside so I can check to make sure she didn’t damage herself, but..” The Doctor’s voice broke as he spoke, ending roughly. Jack knelt down next to them, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

  
“I’ll help you bring our girl inside so we can get her checked out, yeah? Sound like the two of you had a rougher time then I did dying and coming back.” He murmured, feeling something loosen in his chest when he felt just the slightest press against his hand and they both watched Rose breath for a minute or two. The Doctor nodded after a moment, signalling that he was ready to move Rose. Jack flashed him a small grin before he helped him up, then helped lift and bring the young woman into their home so the examinations could begin.


	2. We Did Not Part Ways So Together We Stand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Alright, I said I would update this today on my Discord, and I won't be made a liar. I have the next chapter ready to follow, and am working on the one after that.
> 
> I did some polishing before I posted, but i'm on muscle relaxants and pain killers atm, and I'm not entirely lucid. So I apologize for any mistakes.

Jack watched from a separate bed amusement taking over the worry as he watched the Doctor hook a still sleeping Rose up to half a dozed different devices. While this was no joking matter, the way that the Doctor handled the blonde showed just what he felt for her. Once they had gotten to the infirmary the Doctor was clear that he remembered the Jack had been dead not to long ago, so the former time agent would be getting a check up as well. Which was only fair, since he had been dead. After Rose was settled in and the devices running tests, the Doctor turned to him with a stern and troubled look. Jack half expected to have the sonic screwdriver waved over him and be declared fine, but he soon found himself hooked up to the same devices that were on Rose.

“Not a movement until those are done now Jack.” He warned sharply, as the former time agent went to sit up once he was finished placing the leads. Jack rolled his eyes at the warning because while he was still confused as hell as to how Rosie had managed to bring him back to life, he trusted that she wouldn’t have brought him back with anything wrong with him. He felt fine.. better then fine in fact. He was more worried about the blonde that had almost killed herself saving them, and he really didn’t think all this fuss over him was necessary. 

“I feel fine Doc, I promise. If Rosie was going to go through the trouble to bring me back, I don’t think she’d leave anything wrong with me.” He reiterated out loud, so the Doctor knew of his protest to this in depth of an exam. He didn’t want to be sitting here, when he could be doing other things, helping him with Rose for one. He was pinned with hard blue eyes that rejected his objection.

“You will stay exactly where you are and let me do what I need ta do ta make sure yer fine. You were dead Jack, and our Rose had the power of the vortex in her- along with her human ideals of forever. Who knows just what she ‘fixed’ when she was bringing you back. She won’t have left anything harmful behind on purpose but that power… it was overwhelming her. It was killing her to hold, and she could have made a mistake without meaning ta. I can feel something is different with both of you and neither of my companions are leaving this room until I understand just what has happened to ye both.” He almost spat back at Jack, frustration and a certain kind of helplessness clear in his voice, before rubbing a hand over his face.

Today had been awful, and he wanted to know that Jack and Rose were not in any immediate danger, and then he wanted… He wanted to rest. To process what Rose taking in the vortex really meant, because with her earlier promise of forever there was no way that she had left herself untouched, and even if she hadn’t… The feelings he had been resisting demanded his attention in light of what she had been willing to do for him. How could he deny that he loved the girl, when she obviously loved him enough to sacrifice herself to see him safe? He couldn’t. Not anymore. He didn't want to either. The Time Lords must be rolling in their graves, but he didn't intend on denying himself what was offered to him.

If he was being honest, then he had barely been able to keep his strict policy of not crossing that line with Jack joining them. The complicated three way flirting that had developed in the time that had followed Jack's arrival had futhered the pressure on his resolve. The Doctor had been torn between amusement and jealousy most of the time as his two humans had kept him on his toes, teasing him from the darkness that had swallowed him in the wake of Gallifrey’s destruction. Making him feel alive when all he had wanted to do was follow his people. He startled as Jack moved the hand that wasn’t attached to devices, and grabbed his hand and drawing his attention to him.

“We are going to be just fine Doc. Up and helping stop the end of worlds all over in no time. I promise.” Jack murmured, uncharacteristically serious as he looked over The Doctor’s face- clearly concerned with the reaction he was seeing. The corner of the Doctor’s mouth turned upward in a half smile as he squeezed the hand in his, before he leaned over Jack and pressed his lips against the former time agents softly.

Jack stared at him in shock, unable to believe that had just happened. He had kissed both the Doctor and Rose at the station, knowing things might not end well and unable to not take the chance, but they were safe now. So why was ol ‘Hands of the blonde’ kissing him? The half smile spread into a smirk as the Doctor stepped away from the bed he was in, and let go of his hand, moving towards the door.

“Figured I owed you a kiss, since you graciously gave me one at the station. You just stay there and keep an eye on Rose yeah?” The leather clad man called over his shoulder- heading out the door. “The Tardis will let me know when she’s done, or Rose wakes, I need to take a moment or two to check and make sure there’s no permanent damage from Rose getting into her heart.” Jack nodded to himself, even if he thought perhaps that the Doctor was leaving to get himself in order more then checking on the Tardis.

Something big had changed since they had arrived at the station. The Doctor had always lightly flirted, but he had held himself from crossing the line into taking a playful flirt into the realm of something serious. The soft press of the other man’s lips on Jack’s showed that line was no longer an thing. The former con man grinned at the sleeping Rose, he had a feeling things around here would be a lot more interesting.. and sexy. And he was all for that happening.

* * *

The Doctor had meant to go to and see what sort of damage Rose had caused getting into the heart of the Tardis. He was used to things going pear shaped and having to alter his plans, so his new resolve was about as manageable as it was daunting. Only Instead of making it to where he had wanted to go, he found himself in front of the Zero room. He raised an eyebrow and look at the coral structure of his Tardis, but before he could ask her to stop being stubborn and let him check her out out so he could get back to their companions, a dizzying jumbled of a major timeline shift hit him.

The intensity of the shift made him brace himself on the zero rooms door to prevent himself from ending up on his ass. While he hadn’t needed the space just moments ago the pounding in his head and intense feeling of not right had him fumbling for the door and all but fleeing into the psychically neutral environment to center himself and stop the onslaught. Something was wrong, the time lines were shifting, and not just a little change here or there. He’d never experienced a shift of this magnitude, and it was connected directly to him at that. A dry laugh made his head snap up.

The zero room wasn’t quite as empty as he thought it would be it seemed, instead of the blank four white walls that he had seen dozens of times over his life with the Tardis, there was a rather large bed sitting smack in the middle of the room. And in that bed was a pretty boy, one he imagined Rose would like. The man looked like he had been through hell, pale and shaking even resting as he was though. Indicating he had been though something traumatic. The Doctor felt his spin stiffened as he glared at the intruder and was treated to another laugh as the man lay back into a pile of pillows, unable to hold himself up.

“Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?” Slipped from the Doctor’s mouth almost unbidden, then man in the bed raised an eyebrow at him, before a grim smile crossed his lips.

“I’d be the cause of that timeline shift that I’m expecting you’re feeling. I expected to be wiped out once I had done what I set out to honestly, but it seems the old girl and her wolf had other ideas. As for who I am.. I’m you in a way. This face would be the one you’d be sporting if Rose hadn’t listened to me and let the Vortex go. He got his hand cut off before the regeneration energies were spent, and then shot it full of the next regeneration to stop himself from changing. Our human companion- not Rose, touched the hand and voila instant biological metacrisis. He assumed that I was human since I had one heart. I seem to have two now- apparently timelords are born with one heart. Must have deleted that bit of information at some point, but that doesn’t excuse my other self for dropping Rose and I off in another universe without so much as a by your leave. He decided to give her a Doctor who could live a human forever with her, and that was that.' The other man murmured, his voice hoarse as he spoke.

'Not that she had a human forever after promising to stay with him, us forever and her stint as the Bad Wolf. That ship sailed and he never even noticed it, to focused on the fact that he was convinced she’d wither and die to notice the gift he’d been given. For being born to love her, he was always rebuilding that wall and refusing to admit what he felt and using prejudices to get away from admitting anything. Like with Jack and the fact that before I told her to be gentle bringing him back he was a fixed point. My other self just left him there at the station, no explanation as to what had happened to him at all. Jack spent ages trying to find him, then got called wrong and snark for his troubles. The human who helped form me in the metacrisis was always more brash, more brave really. That affected my personality in some way so I wasn’t afraid to say what we feel." He continued bluntly, dull and lacking life the more that he spoke.

"I aged, thought I was getting close to the end of the slow road, but she stayed the same. People wanted her in labs so we were running with no place that was really safe to go. I knew that I was getting to slow to protect her, I got shot even, so I did something incredibly stupid and clever. I was able to send my energies to the point where it mattered the most, where Wolfie could see all of time and space, so she’d be able to see me and I could tell her that her plan for forever would go off course and voila!” the… metacrisis rambled, his mouth moving non stop as he spilled his story, barely taking a breath during the whole thing. As his words died off he slumped, sighing gold particles into the air. He was obviously regeneration sick, and this conversation wasn't helping him any.

Nine felt sick to his stomach as he pieced together the disjointed information that had been given to him by the other Time Lord. In the original timeline, before the metacrisis had stepped in and used the Bad Wolf Rose had become to change things, his next regeneration had been an idiot and squandered the sacrifice he had made by kissing the energy out of Rose. He had abandoned her in another universe with this metacrisis, assuming the copy of him would only have the slow road to live. He had ignored the fact that Rose had promised him forever, that she had held the power to change herself to give it to him. Then to make matters worse the prat he had regenerated into went and dumped Jack off after the man had been killed, and the man had woken up with no explanation. If the man before him hadn’t interfered… then Rose would be sentenced to what all alien things that people didn’t understand were for her forever. God knows what had become of Jack as a fixed point. Even though it was forbidden to do such things, Nine couldn’t be angry with the other man for his interference in the timeline. It didn’t feel like a paradox- and he could only assume that was possible since the metacrisis had gone through Bad Wolf to make his changes.

“That’s never going ta happen to our Rose or Jack now. I won’t let it.” He vowed, wishing he had a chance to punch the one who had cause so many problems for his companions. The metacrisis laughed, looking at him with too bright eyes. The other Time Lord really should be sleeping his regeneration off, Nine had plenty of bad ones so even without what the other man had been through he would have needed the rest. Nine knew now that he had a lot of work ahead of him just from what he had been told so far. Anything else could wait. Already he was itching to see the test results that had been gathered by his Tardis, so he knew what exactly Bad Wolf had done with the humans, how far along the changes were, and what he needed to do to help it along. If Jack and Rose were able and willing to give him forever then he wasn’t going to waste the chance, nor deny them their wishes. Not like the idiot that he had apparently turned into, so focused on the fact that he was the last timelord to see what was if front of him.

“I know you won’t let it repeat. It’s why I told Wolfie not to let you go and kiss her before the vortex was all out. You’re the brave one, the one who won’t waste the gift she’s offering, that she’s given Jack. She’s going to remember, our Rose. She’s going to remember the other world. Wolfie said so, claimed it was a boon of some sorts, but I think it was just really something to reassure me that I hadn’t just split the timelines and a version of our Rose was still left behind. It’s going to take a while before the other timeline becomes less of a concrete thing and more of a possibility that will never happen since it was the primary line so long. You’re going to have to be careful. If you see a man with my face don’t let him near her. No telling where he’ll be in his timeline, and she might just give him a Tyler slap and oh boy would that be fun to explain to a possibility who won’t want to fade away. I'm not familer enough with the faces that come after to warn you off them though” The metacrisis rambled again.

Nine pinched his nose, the other man was right of course, there was no telling just when the former timeline would become the echo it was fated to be with this timeline shift, and with Rose remembering. The Time Lord cursed Bad Wolf in that moment. For all her act may have been reassurance, his precious girl didn’t deserve that burden. She didn’t need to remember what the Metacrisis had prevented, but he wouldn’t be the one making that choice for her, she had proven that she didn’t appreciate that much when he tried to save her from dying like he and Jack would have.

“She’s going to have some adjusting to do when she wakes up then. It will be a jumble of futrue-past and present for her.” He muttered under his breathe, feeling guilty because ultimately it would be his choices that lead her to this moment. There was no denying it. If his next self hadn’t rebuilt the wall that he had held firm to, he would have never thought of ‘giving’ Rose to the Metacrisis. There would have been no way that he would have let her go. The man on the bed snorted, sounding half asleep ad he did, and when Nine looked at him, his smile was just as tired.

“Not as much as you would think. Our Rose… She’s fantastic. Adaptive. Loved your daft self, loved the other me. She’ll love every version of us. Just you wait and see.” The metacrisis turned Time Lord hummed, his voice growing husky as his eyes closed. Sleep took him again in seconds, which was good. He needed sleep to get over the regeneration sickness. Nine watched at the other man settle into a healing sleep, before grunting to himself. The Metacrisis had done his job to keep their Rose safe, and now it was his turn to take the majority of the burden once more. He left the zero room, and the healing man, before going to complete his original task. Only the Tardis had other ideas- the stubborn old girl sent him a mental image of an undamaged console, and he found himself back at the infirmary. He chuckled slightly at her sass, before stopping dead as he noticed that Jack was now sitting next to Rose, holding her hand. The American looked at him with a slightly guilty grin, before glancing at the other bed and the detached devices and shrugging.

  
“You’ve been gone a while, and I figured the old girl had all the data she needs from me. Rosie was looking awfully lonely over here, so I though I’d come and give her some company.” he said softly, giving the hand in his a squeeze. The Doctor felt a small grin cross his face, and he thanked whatever entity out there that they had made it through what had just happened together. His two human’s made living after what he had done worth it. To be completely honest Nine couldn’t imagine being the idiot the former metacrisis had described, but there was no denying his presence and what it meant. Turning into a pretty boy had obviously meant losing all of his brains.

“She would have let me know if she wasn’t agreeable to you disconnecting yourself.” He informed the other man, before studying the data that had been collected from both of his companions so far. The former Metacrisis had been spot on with what he had told Nine. Rose had made changes to her very DNA, but it didn’t seem to be happening slowly, no that was Jack’s DNA. Rose’s was changing rapidly, and the Doctor would bet that she wouldn't wake up until the changes were done. Whether her vortex enhanced self had seen the slow change a threat to preventing the other timeline or if combining with her elder self was responsible for the increased speed in the change he couldn’t say though. Jack cleared his throat after about a half an hour of silence, and he looked at the other man. Jack was staring at him- his entire body tense as he held Rose's hand. It seemed his silence had only worried the other man.

“What’s the verdict Doc?” Jack asked, sounding apprehensive. He grinned at the other man, hoping to ease his worries, but failing, if the sharper look Jack’s eyes took was any indication.

“Everything is as normal as it can be when you’re messing with the vortex. I already had some idea of the changes we were looking at, spoilers so to speak. We seem to picked up a traveler who did some of his own meddling with what happened at the station. In his timeline things went much differently, you two… suffered with the choices that were made by my next incarnation and he wanted to prevent that.” Nine said absentmindedly, hoping Jack would accept that at face value. The Time Lord didn't quite know how to explain the mutating into a different species issue. And he would have to explain again once Rose woke. He would need to keep their adventures less life threatening while Jack’s changes happened though. Because it wouldn’t do if Jack was killed before death didn’t have a chance to be permanent for him. Jack inhaled sharply.

“How bad was the suffering? Mildly inconvenient or heart breaking?” The former con-man asked, his hand tightening on Rose’s as if he could protect her from what would have happened. The Doctor look up at him, his eyes softening a little as he realized that what he said hadn’t been reassuring. He sighed, and rubbed at his forehead for a moment.

“You’ll have to ask out new friend about all of what happened to you, but my next self decided to give Rose a supposedly human version of himself when he found himself with a metacrisis and then lock them away in a parallel world. There was something that he hadn't thought of though- Rose wasn’t even human herself. She hadn't been since she took the vortes in. I'm looking at proof of that right now The humans of that world wanted her in a lab, obviously the metacrisis wasn’t as idiot like the man who abandoned them- and you. The Metacrisis found a way to have a more desirable outcome to happen and took it.” He explained briskly. Jack blinked, then cursed as he looked over the sleeping girl then at the Time Lord that they loved.

“Will you still become that guy eventually?” He asked, apprehension clear in his voice. “Do we have being abandoned to look forward to?” And considering what that version of him had done to the two companions the Doctor couldn’t blame him for wondering. He snorted and shook his head in denial.

The influence behind the regeneration wouldn’t be the same when it actually happened. He planned on keeping his body for a good long while, and when he had to change he wouldn’t have just kissed the vortex out of the woman he loved but was too afraid to admit to having feelings for because if he did then losing her would end him. Hopefully when it happened he would be firmly with the two who were in the process of changing to a form that would let them stay with him forever.

“Not bloody likely. The circumstances that end the life of one incarnation form the one that comes next. Me? My last self was… in the Time War. I reflect him. The idiot who came after me in the Metacrisis’ timeline? He came from my feelings for Rose and you. Though the feelings for you apparently hit a wall due to you being a fixed point there. I have no idea what went through his thick skull when it comes ta Rose. He ignored changes, and assumed things and the suffering that came of it could never be worth it.” He replied, anger coloring his voice. Once again there was a moment where he was tempted to find the Tenth regeneration that wouldn’t exist now and have it out with him.

Rose… he had loved her since that first adventure- something had told him that the yellow and pink human was going to be his life. Jack had snuck in like a mouse on crack. Running this way and that- visible but making his home without asking. He had originally supposed to be a buffer between the Doctor and Rose. Making sure that the Time Lord never got to close, never gave in. That had backfired on him. Jack rubbed a thumb across Rose’s hand, silent for the moment.

“So this Metacrisis.. he’s here now, independent from the one that formed him? There won't be a paradox with the fact that he won't be coming back to warn Bad Wolf?” The former Time Agent asked, after the silence had almost become suffocating. The Doctor grunted, before nodding his head towards the doors.

“The Tardis has him set up in my Zero Room. Apparently Wolfie wasn’t too keen on one of her Doctors sacrificing himself to keep her safe. Rose… Rose is going to remember that alternate timeline. No telling what kind of reaction she’s going to have when she wakes up. As for a paradox- I think that the way he used will prevent one from happening. Bad Wolf created herself, she can handle having another him warn to complete the circle.” He replied, a note of pain adding to the anger. The thought of his Rose having to remember still didn’t set well with him. Jack cursed at his words.

“That’s bullshit. Not about the other Doc, because that opens all kinds of sexy ideas up, but Rosie shouldn’t have to go through remembering what a jackass the guy after you was.” He muttered, sounding as disturbed as the Time Lord. The Doctor gave him an approving grin.

“We can both agree on that, but the Metacrisis thinks it was Wolfie’s way of letting him know that he hadn’t just split the time lines. As much as I hate thinking of the fact that she’ll remember the idiot and the chance that his actions color her view of me, I think knowing that there isn’t a version of Rose in labs is a good thing.” He hummed. Jack didn’t look any happier at the reasoning, but neither one of them could help it now. Bad Wolf had come and gone, all they could do was move forward.

“So What kind of changes are we looking at?" Jack asked after a moment, going back to his original question. A smile broke out over The Doctor’s face.

“Brilliant ones. Our girl promised forever and she’s cashing in on it with both of you in mind. The two of you are becoming like me. I suspect that Rose will finish her change first, I’m thinking that was combining with her elder self and Wolfie at work there. You’ll take a bit longer, but she didn’t make you a fixed point this time, you won’t hurt to be around.” The gruff Time Lord informed the soon to be ex-human. Jack looked dumb founded for a few moment before laughing to himself.

“Our girl sure as hell knows how to liven up a party. Me a Time Lord, this is going to be interesting." The Doctor joined in on the humor, chuckling as he shook his head.

“The universe won’t know what hit them with you as a Time Lord Jack Harkness.” He agreed after a moment. Jack beamed at him.

“You, me and Rosie. Together forever saving the universe. It’s not a bad life to look forward to living. You two… you made took a guy who was making it by conning people and turned him into a hero. I can’t regret a moment of it.” He breathed, looking around the room. The Doctor looked at him with those icy blue eyes of his, before snorting.

“You had it in you the whole time Jack. Never doubt that.” He murmured, before leaning over and brushing a kiss onto Jack’s head, then straightening. “It will take some time for the Alternate timeline to become less of a certainty and more of a possibility that won’t come to pass. There will be echoes since it was so well established before the Metacrisis meddled.” He informed the other man, since that was something he needed to know. There was every possibility that they would run into someone from that timeline, or that one of his future selves would be coming to try and fix what had changed. Jack grimaced as what the Doctor meant clicked in his mind.

“Meaning we might get to meet the idiot still?” He guessed, a curious mixture of dread and anger in his voice. “If Rosie remembers him it’s best to keep away, no telling what his reaction will be and she’s been though enough.” Both men shared another look, before silence fell in the infirmary once more. They were at a standstill until Rose woke up and everything was explained so there wasn't much to do beyond talking and waiting. There would be no adventuring until everything was settled and the vortex was the safest place to wait things out.


	3. A Look At The Ripples Forming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: We don't see our favorite trio and their hitchhiker this chapter, but I had fun writing it all the same. This is... a look at the ripples Tentoo's change is causing, and adds a bit more to what's to come. Read and Enjoy!

It hit him all at once. Something had changed in his personal timeline, and it wasn’t for the better. He wasn’t going to exist- already he could feel the shift from prime to passive. But what had happened? Who could have gone back far enough into his timeline to do this? And Why? Was this someones attempt to kill him? Had one of his previous selves gotten themselves killed? The Tenth Doctor moaned in agony, as his head felt like it was exploding. He wasn’t the only one. All along the Doctor’s future each of the ones who came after him felt the blast of change. They had to fix this.

  
Once the nausea passed Ten bolted to the counsel furiously typing and trying to track when that change had been made. Since he wasn’t going to exist he didn’t remember anything about what could have happened, or what was happening after it- the new timeline was going on without him after all. He had to find the change and fix it before it was a too late. He didn’t want to go. Who knows if the new timeline would carry of his memories of Rose? Across the future of his failing timeline his older incarnations were doing the same- for different reasons of course.

* * *

  
Eleven stared at the Ponds and River. While Amy and Rory were blissfully unaware that their entire time with him was being undone- would never exist even- their daughter was looking back at him with panic clear in her eyes. Of course, she would be able to feel the drastic changes that had just happened. And while he may not love her the way that he loved the woman he had been born to forget, the fear in her eyes twisted his gut into knots. The woman he had married under duress, was terrified, and he had no idea what was going on. So there was no way to calm her fears. 

  
“Sweetie, this is bad.” River broke the silence, alerting her parents that something was wrong. Eleven grimaced, as alarm started to bloom over Amy and Rory’s faces.

  
“I know. We need to find out what happened. Once we know what has happened, then we can fix this.” He said shortly, twirling to go to the control panel. He started typing, wondering just what had happened, and why the self of the time it happened in hadn’t prevented it.

  
“I don’t think we’ll be able to fix this.” River said faintly, swaying on the spot as she listened to something that no one else could hear. He ignored her, because another woman had taught him that nothing was impossible. He had forgotten that lesson in this incarnation obviously, but it was time to remember. Eleven jumped back as the keyboard he was typing on shocked him.

  
“Some on Sexy, don’t be like that. You have to know what is happening to this timeline, you have to feel that it doesn’t mean anything good. We need to fix this.” he cajoled, looking towards the ceiling of his ship. Something flashed on a monitor and he froze. “No… that was done and over ages ago. Why would Bad wolf be showing up now?” He breathed. His three companions looked confused by that statement, and he had to remind himself that he had never spoken about it to them. This regeneration had been formed with the intention of forgetting- what he had done to the woman he loved as Ten had been too much for him. And Bad Wolf was part of that woman.

  
“Doctor… What’s Bad Wolf mean?” Amy asked, going over to the woman who was her daughter and steadying her since the woman’s husband was absolute rubbish at reading body language it seemed. He grimaced, his mouth set in a hard line as everything in him rejected speaking of that phrase and the woman who had spread it across time. Explaining her and those words would mean admitting what he had done, reliving the pain that he had caused himself. River shifted where she stood, not understanding why he was hesitating to explain.

  
“She. Bad Wolf is a She. Or she was. Going by the current year for the Doctor it was assumed that the human behind those words would be long dead by this point in the timeline. And even if she wasn’t he locked her in a different version of this universe with the Metacrisis. There is no way for her to be spreading that again. She wouldn’t come back to him after what he did even if there was. I know I wouldn’t.” River explained for him. He couldn’t stop the vicious glare that he sent her way at her words though. Who was she to judge him? To decide that Rose was anything like her?

  
Eleven didn’t like to think about what had been taught to the daughter of his companions and Tardis when she was a pawn of the Silence and Madame Kovarian, but this was a bleak reminder. She had been raised to kill him, and knew more about him then any other living being as a result. Then he registered all of her statement- particularly about the lifetime expectation of Rose. He didn’t understand why the assumed was added, when it had been hundreds of years for him.

  
“What do you mean by assumed? Of course, she’s dead- she was human, I gave her a human life with my human self.” He demanded darkly, bile rising as he thought of the human life she had lived with the Metacrisis. A house, mortgage and children. He had regretted his decision almost as soon as the walls had closed behind them that last time. But there had been no way to change it, not without destroying what he had fought to protect. She stared at him, before rolling her eyes.

  
“She is a human that absorbed the time vortex from your Tardis’ heart Darling. You know what being conceived on this ship did to me, don’t tell me that you never ran tests to make sure that she hadn’t been altered herself. If she’s not dead, then she might even have a different face now for goodness sake, considering the special abilities that I received.” She replied sarcastically, bristling at both his question and the look that he had given her. He was her husband, there was no reason for him to get so worked up about a former companion. He still scoffed at her rebuke before he froze, horror blossoming over his face

.  
“What have I done?” He asked himself more then any of them. “What did I sentence her to? Human’s get squirrelly around things that are different from them, then they do things like lock them up in labs and experiment on them. And the Metacrisis won’t last forever, he’ll leave her because time demands it. She said forever, and considering what she did to Jack. What have I done!” A hand was in his hair tugging as his companions started to get an uneasy feeling. They hadn’t seen the Doctor quite like this before. River stepped out of her mother’s embrace, gathering herself as she looked over the man that she loved. All she had ever wanted was him to love her back. But she had missed something it seemed, something she had written off as finished.

  
“Sweetie. It’s done. It’s over with. Those walls were sealed up again. Even if she was changed, it isn’t likely that she will ever be able to be brought back. And there is no guarantee that she would want to be brought back. You can only send a person away so many times before they stay away after all.” She tried to comfort him, but she was no good at comforting. She hadn’t been raised that way, so it came off as condescending. The look that he gave her was the definition of disgust.

“It’s not over. If there is a chance that she is alive and trapped then I will never rest. We will find out what is destroying my personal timeline, stop it and then I will bring her home. I have to, and if I spend the rest of my regenerations apologizing to her, then I will. I was wrong River, and she’s paying the price for my arrogance.” He spat, anger clear in his voice. She flinched, suddenly understanding why he could never love her like she wanted. Why he had put off marrying her to the last moment possible. His hearts had been taken long before she was born, and he hadn’t gotten them back.

  
“You love her still.” She whispered, feeling her heart breaking as she said that aloud. His face went emotionless as he stared at everywhere but her. Behind her she could feel her mother and father growing restless, but she put a hand up to calm them. This was something that needed to happen. Even if she spent the rest of her life regretting it she needed to know the truth. He snorted.

  
“This body was made to forget her River. I almost destroyed myself in my tenth body when I made the decision to give her a human forever with another man. Even if that man was myself in a way. This body… I have to remember to not think of her daily. I never stopped loving her, but she has never heard that phrase from the proper me. If she is alive… then forgetting be damned.” He replied firmly, conforming her fears in one swift blow. 

  
River inhaled deeply as he spoke- trying to keep herself together and wondering what happened next as she reviewed her actions mentally. She was acting jealous- he was her husband. She had a right to feel that right? But she had fooled herself. She knew that the Time Lord hadn’t wanted to marry her. She knew that his visits that freed her from the prison came from his guilt. Just like she had known that his Rose was most likely alive.

  
“So none if this has meant anything? You haven’t grown to love me in any way?” She pressed, always the glutton for punishment. Because she knew the answer. He scoffed at her, his face twisting again. She braced herself for whatever he may say, or he tried to. Whatever it was would hurt.

  
“No. Not in the way that you were desperate for and I’m sorry for that. Rose always said I was rude and not ginger, but you deserve more then what I can give you. You’re the child of two of my companions. One that was hurt because of me. I will always feel like I have to make it right.” He admitted, in a low and pained voice. Saying this- even as angry as he was that this was the first time that she had mentioned that Rose may have been changed- hurt him. That much was clear.

  
“But Rose… she took a broken Time Lord, and she brought him to life and taught him to live. I fell in love with her before I knew it, but her mortality- the fact I would have to live without her. It kept me from saying it. When the Metacrisis happened… he was human. He could share that life. And it killed me but I manipulated it where they would stay in a place I would never have to watch the outcome. And the guilt… it drove my tenth self to resist dying- and it almost destroyed the Tardis.” he admitted, being frank about his feeling and thoughts for once. River exhaled hard at that last bit. This… this made sense and was what she was afraid of. She had tried to make him love her, but he had always held back from giving in. This was his reason why.

  
“I have given you everything Doctor.” River whispered, unable to help herself. Because life before she had agreed with the decision to trick the Silence had been simple. His death would have just been another mission. Eleven’s look of pity gutted her. River had thought that she had made progress, but she obviously hadn’t. She was a fool, and he was only comforting her as she lived out her prison sentence.

  
“I’m so sorry River.” Eleven murmured another apology, and the pity in his voice made her feel sick to her stomach. Instead of collapsing onto herself, she straightened her spine and looked him in the eyes. She needed to get out of here before he began obsessing.

  
“I think that we need to go back to where we belong. You’re rubbish at paying attention to anyone but your mysteries. We’ll just distract you.” she demanded, doing so for her own sake. Her parent’s factored into it, but they didn’t know what was in store for them if they stayed. No. This was better for them all. If the Doctor failed in reversing whatever had happened in his past, then being somewhere familiar when it all faded was the best comfort she could offer. Eleven gave her another hard look before nodding, not even protesting. It hurt about as much as her realization did to be honest. He would never fight for her, and she needed to accept that.

  
“As soon as the Tardis feels like cooperating with us, she’s feeling a bit temperamental.” He replied, for the benefit of the others. Thankfully he was not fighting her and insisting that they stayed. She nodded shortly, ignoring her parents murmuring about her willing cutting her time short and returning to the prison. All of this had been for nothing. Her kidnapping from her parents, her childhood. She couldn’t help but be bitter as she thought over the last 20 minutes. Her life had been subpar because of his involvement in her parents life. Life might be better without him. 

  
The Tardis gave a groan, as if on que and River could feel it traveling. She buried the pain at the confirmation that she wasn’t wanted here. The Tardis- however fond of the child she had helped create, loved the woman who had been gone centuries more. Or rather the Tardis was eager to get rid of River now that she had told the Doctor that the Wolf may be alive. River could feel it. Amy and Rory were the first to be dropped off, leaving River and Eleven in a tense stand-off. Finally, they arrived at the prison. She looked at her husband, trying to find a sliver of warmth, but he was too distracted. Too angry over what he had done, what she had done in keeping her mouth shut. And she knew that this was goodbye, if he came back it wouldn’t ever be like it was before.

  
“I’m sorry that I didn’t say something sooner Doctor. I assumed that you knew of the possibility.” She offered as moved towards the exit of the ship. He looked at her then shook his head in disbelief, causing another stab. After everything, he was so quick to believe the worst of her. But if those words had never appeared she wouldn’t have thought about that seemingly inconsequential piece of information. Rose Tyler had never been a part of her mixed up meetings with the Doctor, so she had mentally marked her as the past. As she moved to fully exit the Tardis he made a frustrated noise.

  
“I will always care for you Melody Pond. But you have lied and omitted details since the moment that we met. This is just another spoiler that you held back from me until you decided that it was time to reveal. You shouldn’t have, one hint that I had condemned her to the slow road that wasn’t hers to walk and I would have started to look for a way to bring her back.” He admitted, a gentle rebuke darkening that statement and telling the woman that she wasn’t forgiven. Even if he managed to stop the destruction of his timeline and bring Rose back River knew that she wouldn’t be forgiven.

  
“I guess this is Goodbye then.” She murmured, just to be clear what her impression of all of this was. He gave her another stare, before giving a short nod.

  
“I guess it. Until I get my personal timeline back on track and Rose home at least. Maybe once everything is settled we’ll come for a visit. I doubt it, considering she’s going to need time to settle back into her rightful universe and I’m going to need to make amends for what I’ve done. But Maybe.” He replied shortly, turning his back and snapping his fingers. 

  
As the Tardis doors closed behind River she felt a sob building up. Everything had been good- not perfect considering that once her travels were over she always went back to a cell. But it had been the life she was willing to live if she got to live it with him. A few moments later, and she could hear the Tardis leaving- driving break on and all. She slumped a little, as the guards surrounded her once again- ready to bring her to the cell that she called home.


	4. A Call for Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: While this isn't the Story that I planned to update, I've been fighting with TTMIR as those on my discord probably know, I figured I would since I have the next couple chapters written and you've waited long enough.

Nine raised an eyebrow as an alert started beeping, letting him know that he had a received a message from another Tardis. He looked over the read out that was being displayed, before cursing under his breath as he realized that it was a call from his future self. The Doctor’s who would never exist soon were trying to find the point of the timeline shift, and he was being cordially invited to come and help them in their pointless searching. He had expected this, but he had hoped that he would have more time before it happened. Something like this would cause panic, so it looked like his future selves were not wasting time like they were sometimes prone to doing. Rose was still unconscious as her body rapidly changed right now though. And everything in the alien told him it would be a bad thing if the other Doctor’s showed up before that was done. Hell even meeting up after would be dangerous, if they were not careful in masking the changes.

The state that their once human companion was in would cause more distraction and panic because it hadn't happened before. It would also be an indicator that they were the point of the shift. Nine didn't need them mucking about and trying to change how he died- he had already decided that he wasn't going to become them. They had taken his sacrifice and spat on it when Ten had decided that he was entitled to deciding Rose's fate. He just needed to stall this summons until the new timelines had settled in a bit more. There was no reason to be inviting trouble by answering this call.

“Is everything okay Doc?” Jack asked, coming up alongside the doctor and leaning into him- his warm body providing a centering force. Nine grunted in displeasure, before nodding to the screen. It flickered from Gallifreyan to English in a second- the Tardis understanding that he wanted to share the message without Nine telling her. His ship was a wonder among her kind, and proved that to Nine every day. It was Jack’s turn to sigh as he read the summons.

“Okay then, so the Idiot and those who come after him are looking for the reason for the shift in timelines. That's not a big deal, because we can't just expect any version of you to let themselves become a possibility. Time… the Vortex is a huge place though, and I doubt that they will consider that Bad Wolf moment as a possible shift. As far as they know that’s a fixed point right?” Jack puzzled out loud, trying to reassure the Doctor and himself that this didn’t have to mean anything. Nine snorted at his assessment, he wasn't wrong, but there were other factors to consider.

“If I know anything about myself it’s the fact that I’m stubborn. I don’t give up when i set my mind to something. They’ll most likely find us before they are not an issue and we have to accept that, even if they have to lock onto the Tardis and pull us somewhere to meet them. The idiot and his fellows may even find us on mistake for all we know. We don’t get along with each other, but multiple versions have come together to work on things in the past, so this isn't exactly unheard of.” He explained, already trying to figure out how he could try to resist any sort of summoning- it had been a bane of his since before the Time War, but after his people had died he hadn't thought of it. Nine would much rather have the other versions of himself fade from the time stream then have to face the man who abandoned Jack and Rose. He wasn’t fool enough to think that a meeting wouldn’t end in a fight and him saying things would only cause trouble. He cared too much for his companions for it not to.

“Normally I would joke about the possibilities that having more of one of you around presents, but I’m not interested in meeting the version of you that would abandon Rosie and me. I know that it didn’t happen in this timeline, that it won’t with you still around. But for him it did happen and considering what you’ve implied about Rosie remembering the future that won’t happen, I don’t trust that he won’t think she’s fair game to run off with.” Jack mumbled pressing his face into the Doctor's shoulder, making Nine’s spine stiffen as he thought that fact over. For all intents Rose was now her older self as well as her current. If the echo found that out… well taking her would be like getting the woman that he had abandoned back without the fuss of breaking her out of the prison he had locked her in. If he ever found out about the changes that she had undergone Ten wouldn't even hesitate even though it would damage the timeline further.

  
“If we happen to end up meeting with them, then you don’t leave Rose’s side. Not even for a moment, no matter what may be happening. She’d be too tempting for them, even if they accepted the fact that they were fading.” He ordered bluntly, his hearts pounding as he imagined one of them running off with her. He would get Rose back, but the damages that would be done would be horrific. Jack nodded without protesting, of course he did. Rose's safety wasn’t something to argue about after all.

  
“This just keeps getting better and better.” Jack complained after a moment of silence, dislike for the situation that they were in clear in his voice. The Time Lord just grunted, before looking over some read outs on another subject that was going to be coming to a head. The Metacrisis, and he really needed to find some other way of describing the other Time Lord since he was so much more then that now, was almost through his healing coma. Finding a place where the other Time Lord fit was going to be… interesting. For all intents the Time Lord had been Rose’s husband for years, and she was going to remember that. That was hard for Nine to reconcile with, but he was well aware of his possessive nature when it came to his pink and yellow girl. Jack had joked about his ‘Hands off the Blonde’ attitude often enough. Fighting the urge to keep the two separate was going to be hard. 

  
“Our other passenger should be up and about soon, according to these readings” He informed Jack, since he was going to be affected by the other timelords presence as well. The former Con-man shifted slightly at that, looking a bit awkward at the reminder of the man who had changed how their history played out. 

  
“We like this one right?” He asked, and really it was an obvious request on how to act around the other Time Lord. If Nine said no, he knew that Jack would be polite, flirty even, but keep the other Time Lord at arms lengths without giving anything away. But the Metacrisis hadn’t harm anyone yet, he had just given his life to change a timeline gone wrong.

  
“I’m not sure, when I spoke to him he was sick because his regeneration was… wonky even for us and I have woken up on a mortuary table before. Blimey that was a odd incarnation- faulty memory. He seemed like a likable pretty boy. Rose… Rose is going ta know him. She’s going ta like him even, considering she married him in that timeline.” He replied, laying out his unease without saying it. Jack chuckled, his arm tightening around Nine’s waist.

  
“It would be kind hard to pull the ‘hands off’ on him when he’s got that going for him. So we go for a truce? He and Rosie may know each other, but we have to get to know him.” Jack teased slightly, his fingers playing with the edge of Nine’s jumper- inching it up just a tad so his fingers could run over a sliver of skin. The former Con-Man laughed as his hand was swatted away when the Doctor realized just what he was doing.

  
“Jack.” warned Nine, his blue eyes playful as he looked over his companion. Just because he had decided to accept some things, it didn’t mean that he had to make it easy on the 51st century man. Jack just smiled at him, looking innocent and like he was enjoying every moment of this. He probably was, because before they had almost died the Doctor wouldn't have entertained the thought or actions. Nine was used to keeping people far enough that when their lives ended he might have a chance to accept it.

  
“Don’t Jack me Doc, you know that you like it.” He shot back before shaking his head. “I’ll leave you to your brooding and what if’s. I’ll be with Rosie if you need me.” He added, his eyes darting to the door that lead to the infirmary. Both males were eager for her to wake up, though they hadn't voiced it. While she was unconscious they didn’t know just how much her elder selves memories would impact her. And that was the scariest part of all this. The Rose who woke up wouldn’t be the same one that they had talked with before the station thanks to Bad Wolf. Nine nodded, the playful mood he had briefly vanishing.

  
“You do that. The Tardis will let me know when she wakes, but you’ll be a neutral face until we can get a feel fer how badly the idiot mucked things up with her.” He agreed, a scowl finding it’s way to his face as he thought of just what might happen when Rose woke. He didn’t want to think that his once future incarnation had mucked things up badly enough that she would be unhappy to see him, but it was a chance. She had been abandoned plain and simple, because there was no other justification for what Ten had done. Jack gave him a look at those words, disapproving of the sentiment right away.

  
“Now I get to say stop. Rosie. She loves you ya. And she’s smart enough to separate what she feels for the idiot and you. You’re used to meeting people out of order at times, so just think of this a hop into her future. She’s going to have grown, but she’s still the same person that swallowed the heart of the Tardis to save us at her core.” The American scolded, before giving Nine a nod and heading to the med bay. Nine watched him go, then snorted. Jack was right, but it still made him nervous. He had been going to take the vortex from her, sacrifice himself. And that would have been the biggest mistake he had made in a long time. The remnants of his mind must have driven Ten insane with it’s cursing. Not that it had helped any. Ten had still done what he had. 

  
Sighing Nine turned back to the read out on his future selves progress in tracking the shift in the timelines. They had no idea where to start looking, which was about the only thing he had going for him at the moment. The Metacrisis may be close to waking, but Rose still had a ways to go before she was finished changing and ready to wake. The stressed timelord had a feeling that he’d need them both to explain and prove himself when the other finally tracked the shift down.

  
“Bloody nightmare this is. When a time goddess feels that you've completele screwed the pooch and decides ta change it, that should be the end.” He vocalized as he read what was being provided to him by the Tardis. Apparently she wasn’t any happier with his future selves then he was- and she was working with her younger self to help her rightfully stolen crew keep away as long as they could. 

  
“Yer absolutely brilliant Old Girl. Just keep them confused a bit longer and give Rose a chance ta finish up..” He complemented his ship, because she deserved it and staying on the good side of the Tardis was always a good idea. As she preened at the praise he couldn’t help but wonder just when he future self had forgotten that fact. This model of the Tardis had always had a strong personality, and he had learned that she could either help, or make his life miserable depending on how he treated her. Right now Ten was getting a taste of her bad side, if he was understanding her right. It couldn't have happened to a better Timelord.

* * *

  
Ten was starting to feel desperate because of the lack of answers to his problem. He could feel the time lines unraveling, but he had no idea where it began yet. It was like something was clouding his vision when he tried to look. And that was never a good sign. How could he fix what had gone wrong if he couldn’t even tell what happened? This was his life- his existence on the line here. And he didn’t want to go. There were still so many adventures to be had, even if the one he wanted to have them with was lost and living her human life out with the metacrisis. He wasn’t ready to regenerate, let alone stop existing, but he couldn't even run from this. Once it reached him, that was it- he would be a just an unrealized chance.

A horrible thought hit him as he thought about his existance ending. If he never existed then what would happen to Rose? She was who she had grown into because of thier time together. Would she go back to her life as a shop girl in this universe, never reaching the brilliance that had been hiding in her? Or would she stop existing as well because he had stuck her in another universe with his Metacrisis? Would she stay there- stuck and confused about how she had gotten there because of the walls being closed? His grip tightened on the control that he had been about to flip. This wasn’t just about him now. If Rose was affected in any way… he would destroy whatever had changed the time lines. But he couldn’t do this alone. He would need help from them… his other incarnations.

As distasteful as the gathering would be, all of those big and beautiful Time Lord minds should do the trick and help him figure out what had gone wrong and how they could fix it. Ten knew that Nine would be as protective as he was when it came to any chances of Rose being hurt. Oh Nine would punch him- the part of Ten that was him had been threatening that since he had made the decision to leave Rose with the Metacrisis. But Rose would be safe with both of them working on the problem, she had to be. Decision made to gather the troops, he turned and flipped some more switches before recording a message. All that was left was to wait for them to get here.

* * *

  
Eleven looked at the message again, before rubbing the bridge of his nose, irritated by Ten and his bloody decisions. He hadn’t thought of Rose being affected by his personal timeline dissolving yet. And yet now that his younger self had pointed it out, it was all that he could think of. Especially with what River had revealed during her explanation. This was going pear shaped in more then one way, he could see Nine's reaction already. Eleven thought about altering the time lines more and letting the earliest self that showed up know that Rose had been altered by the vortex. But he crossed that idea of quick he knew to prevent a paradox that self would lock their memories of this meeting away once the problem had been solved. It had happened before, and the Tardis may even do it without the versions consent if it kept the timelines in order.

Maybe Eleven could let them know, just so he could pick the minds of the other versions of himself about solutions to his Rose problem. If they would forget any way, he could take advantage of their knowledge, and maybe even see Ten punched a couple of times. Eleven hadn’t been tracking his years all that well, so he had no idea how long Rose had been trapped over there. He needed to get to her as soon as possible because of that. Was she alone now? Had her family and the metacrisis all shriveled with the passing years? Would she even want to see him after what he had done- well after what his earlier self had done? The questions were driving him about as mad as the fact that his personal timeline was going nuclear.

“First things first. I gotta get the timeline stable and back on track, then I’ll rescue Rose. And let her yell. Maybe even smack me if she needs to. She deserves that much after what I’ve done.” He muttered to himself as he put in the coordinates that Ten had sent. Once all of this was over nothing would keep him from Rose, or that was what he promised himself. Eleven was the Doctor Who Forgot no more.

* * *

One Tardis appeared across from another, the eerie sound made by the parking break heralding its arrival. Ten popped his head out, then groaned as he saw the bow tie of the incarnation after him come into view. He really disliked this one- the few times they had met the other Time Lord had been dismissive of any mention of Rose, and that was enough to seal his opinion. It was proof that they forgot the woman that was Ten’s world shortly, and he couldn't imagine how that had happened. Not when thinking of her still hurt him so much, even though he only had himself to blame for her absence. This better be a quick meet up, or he might end up punching the prat.

  
“I’m the first to arrive then?” Eleven asked, arching an eyebrow because he would have thought that Nine would have beat him by a mile. He shrugged a little, before coming out of his Tardis fully. Ten mimicked him silently, having a moment for being petty. He was after all Rude and not ginger this incarnation. He cleared his throat at that thought, banishing the pettiness. That could wait until after this time line mess was dealt with.

  
“Yeah, no response from Nine or the others yet. I’m hoping ol’ Ears and Leather responds the most though, we know whatever has changed was earlier then me since I have no idea what happened and the time lines are shifting further back.” He responded, knowing that the older him understood the seriousness of the situation that they faced. Eleven grimaced, his hands going up to his bowtie on reflex. Something other than the Time Line issue was bothering him, that much was obvious to Ten just looking at him.

  
“We can hope he can respond, or is willing to. If he’s not affected by whatever this is then he might just ignore it, given how much we dislike meeting up with ourselves. There’s a chance that he can go on after all. If this shift just focused on the future incarnations he has that chance to. I mean, if he’s not dead then maybe the circumstances of his regeneration changed and that’s why we are fading. One small change is all that it will take.“ Eleven murmured distractedly. Both of them wrote off that being the reason almost instantly though. Nine had ended his life by taking the Vortex from Rose. There was no way that was changing right? It had to be something else, something that they were missing. Maybe something in Eight’s lifetime had changed and bled over into ours? Finding out was the reason for this meeting though.

  
“Did I take you away from something important?” Ten asked snidely, when it looked like Eleven’s mind had wandered again. Green eyes glared at Ten, and a mouth opened before closing abruptly.

  
“No… Wait, yes you did in fact but that is besides the point. Why in Rasslion’s name did you never check to see if the Vortex had any effect on Rose?” Was blurted out as the elder version couldn't keep his mouth shut on the subject of Rose and his discovery. Eleven covered his mouth as soon as it was said, looking at Ten with wide eyes. Ten himself had frozen, and wondered where that question had come from, and why it had come out of the version who had forgotten Rose. It was the kind of question that Ten could have seen Nine asking- the crowing in his mind proving his point as the remnant of the younger Doctor started hurtling insults at him once again.

  
“I thought you forgot about her.” He replied, with venom in his voice as he mentioned one of the facts he had hated about his older selves. “There’s no need for you to be questioning me about her now. She’s gone, locked in another world by my hand. Why should it matter to you what I did or didn’t do to her while she was with me? There’s no changing what happened, not without a paradox and then we'd only be watching her wither.” He added with a snort. Eleven’s hands dropped, and he glared at Ten darkly- again reminding him of Nine.

  
“You were born into loving her, I was born into the damage that losing her caused us. Forgetting her- not thinking of her. That was the only way that I didn’t self-destruct some days. And I probably would have carried on with that remedy if Bad Wolf hadn’t popped up on my monitors when the shift happened and River hadn’t pointed out that we have been idiots.” He admitted, his voice turning harsh. Ten stared at him. 

  
“What?! You saw those words again?” He yelped, before his face turned serious. “What did Professor Song say? I know what she implied of us when she killed herself, but she didn’t know about Rose.Rose was already gone by that run in.” He asked darkly, hating the thought of that woman having anything to say about Rose. She may have proof that he would marry her one day, but that didn’t mean that he had to like her. She was a problem for his future self to deal with after all. Eleven snorted at his response- fixing Ten with a hard look.

  
“You have no idea about just what River is to us. It’s more complicated then normal. But since you will have to suppress all of this once we have fixed whatever went wrong I will tell you the gist of it, she was taught all about us, and she intended to kill us. Then she changed her mind, and got us to marry her instead. She knows things… like the fact that Rose is probably able to keep her promise of forever. She wasn’t going to say a thing about it though, not until I was struck dumbfounded by that phrase. The insufferable woman only told me what she meant because she explained it to her parents and I pressed on something she had said offhandedly.” He spat out- anger clear in his voice and for once it was not directed at Ten. 

  
Said Doctor was staring at Eleven, his mind running through what had been said, and coming up with something horrible. What had he done in making that decision for Rose? What had he sentenced her to because he couldn’t stand the thought of her spending her forever with him wasting away? The gnawing guilt that had been eating at his soul from the moment that the walls had closed increased ten folds. Sure he had given her a Doctor with a human life but, from what Eleven was saying, she no longer had a human life to live. She would watch everyone around her age and fade away. Her life was more in line with his now, and he had stuck her in a universe and watched as the walls closed.

  
“No.” He murmured in denial, his eyes locking on Eleven’s face, looking for any sort of lie. He found nothing of the kind though. “Please, tell me that you misunderstood Song. She never tells the whole truth- she’s always has her spoilers. This can’t be right.” Eleven snorted at his denial.

  
“I’ve already been through this stage. Your denial won’t change things. Given what Rose did with the Tardis’ heart, it’s entirely possible. But we can’t know for sure- not yet. Because you never took the time to check her over after she took in the vortex.” He replied shortly, rocking back on his heels.

  
Ten pressed a hand to his eyes as the possibility and facts settled in his mind. He wouldn’t remember this as his Eleventh self had pointed out. So he wouldn’t know he had to work on getting Rose home- or at least checking in on her until his Eleventh self found out in the earliest. Not unless he risked the time lines so soon after they fixed whatever had gone wrong He sighed heavily. Eleven had painted him into a corner, and exacted his own sort of revenge for failing Rose, all in one sentence.

  
“You’ll take care of her when you get her back?” He asked softly, pleading with himself to agree. He didn’t trust the bow tie wearing Doctor as far as he could throw him. But if he promised… then Rose might be able to settle down in their lives again. Eleven looked at him in disbelief.

  
“Of course I will. I may have tried my best to forget Rose, but I still care for her. Remember, regeneration only changes the little things. And no one could ever think that our feelings for her are a little thing.” He vowed, sounding offended that Ten would question that. Ten laughed bitterly.

  
“I am such a fool. I’ve wasted so much time with her because I wanted to control the goodbye. I didn’t want to see her age and her body fail her even if she had promised me forever.” He lamented almost to himself. Eleven didn’t say a word, not because he had nothing to say but because there was too much that he wanted to point out. Ten had made so many mistakes with Rose, and he didn’t even know if she would welcome his attempt at rescuing her because of that.

.  
“Looks like we’ll need to be a bit more insistent without other selves. This is taking too long, I’m not sure how much time we have left before you are gone, and without you the rest of us will fall faster as time adjusts to the change.” Eleven finally broke the suffocating silence. Ten sighed, before turning on his heel and heading back into his Tardis. The git was right, but with everything that had just been aired Ten wished that he wasn’t. He felt like complete idiot in light of what he had missed in regards to the woman that he loved.


	5. Facing Truths and Waking Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I'm sorry. I lost my motivation to write for a bit because of RL. If you follow my stories, you've seen a distinct lack of it. However I've managed to finish this chapter- at least to a point where I feel that it's ready to be shared. I'm working on my other works, and hope to have them updated soon.

The Neo Doctor, a term which Nine felt was more fitting then Metacrisis considering his biology had stabilized into more or less full Gallefriyan, was annoying to deal with. Though if Nine was honest in his experiences, than he would have to admit that he normally thought that of his other selves, no matter what body he was in. The Neo-Doctor was a hyper active puppy that talked all the time, and a pretty boy to boot though. All of those things were forgivable, because he was was also loyal and that loyalty had saved Rose from things that Nine didn’t want to consider ever being something that she would have to go through. For that Nine could forgive him of almost anything to be honest.

The moment that the Neo-Doctor woke up he had wanted to check on Rose, and he was a bit disappointed that she hadn’t woken yet when he had been informed of that. He had wanted to confirm that his wife was there, that the Bad Wolf hadn’t mislead him about her memories combining with her younger self, because being alive meant nothing if Rose was still trapped over there. But with her still asleep as her body went through the changed the Wolf had brought on in fast forward, that wasn’t possible. They were all waiting to see her eyes open.

After the disappointment had settled, the tumble of words that explained his story more fully came bursting out. And with every sentence Nine considered his options more and more. Part of him wanted to answer the call for help, just to tell the others to bugger off and let themselves become unfulfilled possibilities in time, but most of him wanted to run with his companions and not stop until this was over. He didn’t know how long the other time line would linger about, able to interact with the newly formed main line, but if he faced the man that wore the Neo Doctor’s face then there was going to be a problem. Nine wondered if it was possible to kill a possibility, because he wanted to be the one to end the version of himself who had caused so much pain for his Rose.

Ten was… for the lack of a better word, an egotistical idiot. That must have come from the pretty boy features that he had taken on that incarnation. There was no other explanation to it, but Ten had tried to send Rose away forever before losing her the first time. Sure Nine had done something similar in sending her away from the station- but Ten’s version wouldn’t have seen her locked into another universe. Nine had sent her home- to her flat, in her own time and universe. If he had managed to survive the station, then he would have found his way back to her and the Tardis. Ten’s actions had prevented him from having even that option if things went pear shaped. And they had gone wrong.

Jackie had made her decision to stay in the other universe with a version of her husband, that was a given in. But she must have accepted the fact that she was saying goodbye to her daughter when she had decided to do so, even if she had been protesting leaving Rose. Jackie had been anything but stupid after all. Rose had made her own decision when she had decided to stay with Ten, and then he did a piss poor job of making sure she would be safe from what was going on. Ten had risked her life without the basic precautions being taken, point blank.

The time that they had to prepare for their plan had been short sure- but where were the secondary safety straps to make sure that if Rose lost her grip she wouldn’t be sucked in with the targets? He would have made sure that there was something like that with the seriousness of the consequences if something happened, especially if there was no time to get Rose somewhere safe like the Tardis. It was like Ten had decided that it was time for her to go, at least subconsciously, and had engineered it so it would happen and he wouldn’t get the blame for it. They had never been good about saying Goodbye, but this topped all of their previous disastrous parting of ways from their long time companions by miles. Nine couldn’t write it off as a Tardis malfunction or a mistake.

The fact that Pete Tyler of the other universe had known exactly when to pop back over and grab Rose when she lost her grip was the most telling bit to Nine, though he hadn’t voiced it out loud. There was no way that the alternate human could have known that he would be needed, so why had he come in time to save Rose? Luck was a slim option, but it was more likely that Ten had whispered in his ear that something might go wrong, and he would be needed to catch his not-quite daughter when she fell. It had probably been his way to make sure that she was safe, but locked away from him so that he would never truly have to say goodbye. It made the whole beach scene even worse though, if Nine thought of it with that context.

Then there was the fact that Ten had almost offed himself over losing Rose, then he went and dumped her in the other universe with the Neo-Doctor once she found her way back to him. Nothing the incarnation that had come after him had done in all of this made any sense. Not to Nine, though the Neo-Doctor did a good job of trying to explain it away as a control thing. Ten had wanted to give Rose the best, but not have to see her whither like humans are prone to doing. He could never imagine willingly giving the woman in his infirmary up unless it meant his death was near- and everyone knew how that had gone. Rose had come right back and saved him, like the goddess that she was instead of accepting that he and Jack were going to die.

“You do know that you pretty much did the same thing that you just ranted about… right?” Jack asked, breaking the silence that had fallen after the new arrival’s story had finished. Nine raised an eyebrow at him, but he was looking at the Neo-Doctor. Said Doctor was staring at Jack with a look that was a cross between dismay and offence at the blunt accusation.

“What?! I only made it so all of that didn’t happen! I saved her from having to live her forever under the knife of whatever wack-job of the day. She’ll understand, she must!” The Neo Doctor protested, sounding bewildered that Jack thought otherwise. Nine grimaced at the protest, he could see where Jack was coming from and he wasn’t far off the mark. When Rose woke up she wasn’t going to be happy with the Neo-Doctor even if he had survived. And it looked like the other Time Lord didn’t understand what kind of mess he had gotten himself into by not telling Rose his plan. He could be an arse and let him find out for himself, or he could clue him in to what Jack was talking about since he seemed clueless. If he understood before Rose woke up, then things might not be as explosive between the newly changed female and the Neo-Doctor

“He means to say that you made all the decisions regarding the problem you two were facing in that world, just the same as he made the decision ta leave tha two of you there. You decided to make the device, knowing what it would need ta work, and you never told her about it. Then you decided to use the device, and went and kilt yerself while she was trying to help ya recover. Given the fact that she’s going ta remember all of that- and maybe even finding yer body.. you did what he did. And she’s not going ta be happy about it.” Nine explained more bluntly. The Neo-Doctor deflated.

“Bloody hell. I thought that I was passed all of that. That the bits of me that came from Donna had made me better, smarter then him, when it came ta being heavy handed. But your right. I did the same thing to her that he did, and worse yet I didn’t think anything of the aftermath. I didn’t consider what would happen on her end and never thought that Wolfie would combine my Rose with her past self.” He muttered under his breath, pulling at his hair and making it a right mess. Nine grimaced at the sight, resisting the urge to cut the lot of it off while Jack just snorted.

“Even if Bad Wolf didn’t combine the two, you still would have set her up to find your corpse.” He snarked, anger clear in his voice, and Nine gave him a look. This wasn’t ‘We like this one’ treatment. Jack rolled his eyes, before pointing at the Neo-Doctor. “After everything he just told us, he deserves a slap or two- all I’m doing is giving him a verbal dressing down to make him realize what he did. Your next self damn well deserves more. Rosie… she fought to get back to you then gets put away like a toy that he’s done playing with, only with the addition of a ‘human’ double.” He pointed out, and Nine resisted a smirk, because Jack was just as protective of Rose as he was.

“That may be true, but if we break him before Rose wakes, she’ll just take it out on us. He’ll get enough of a dressing down from her, once she gets her memories in order.” He pointed out with a wink that was more devious than playful. Jack raised an eyebrow at him before nodding slowly.

“That isn’t going to be pretty once she understands what’s happened. He might want to start running before she wakes up, because that slap is going to be a doozy.” Jack muttered under his breath sarcastically, giving the Neo-Doctor a stink eye. It seemed that despite his earlier decision to get to know the man who had changed how history played out he wasn’t feeling inclined to. The Neo-Doctor’s tale had changed his mind about what kind of man the Neo-Doctor was. Nine couldn’t blame him for feeling less then charitable, but the man had still done good in saving Rose. He just could have done better in keeping her informed of his attempt. The Neo-Doctor snorted, though and gave Jack a fond look- not at all put out by his reaction.

“That is wise advice, her slap can be worse then Jackie’s ever was if she’s riled up enough, believe me. I’ve managed to get treated to a few in my time. I know that I haven’t managed to make the best impression on you Jack, but I promise I’m not going to hurt Rose. I’ll most likely spend the next hundred years apologizing for this, but my only intention was to save her from spending her life alone in that world with those monsters after her. She wouldn’t have let me end my life to do that though. I realize that I should have told her, but we’re here now and I wouldn’t change that. I’ll take whatever she deems fit to send my way for my mistakes, but I’m not sorry that we are safe.” He assured him. Nine snorted at he statement, but Jack’s eyes softened just a bit. Not enough to make Nine think that he had forgiven the newest member of the Tardis, but enough to signal that he wouldn’t be outright hostile to the other Time Lord.

“Don’t press Rosie for forgiveness. Let her be angry as long as she needs to be. It’s going to be hell enough with her remembering the timeline that isn’t going to happen.” The former Time Agent reminded their guest, before turning on his heel and walking towards the infirmary without another word. The Neo-Doctor watched him go before sighing and shaking his head.

“He said she was worth fighting for- and he never says things without meaning it. I realize that I made the same mistakes as my twin, and I’m going to have to build that trust up again. Rose took Ten leaving her without a choice hard, and I tried so hard not to be the same man. But obviously I failed. I saw a solution, and I took it just as soon as I could. You, you need to be better than us. Listen, try to work with what she gives you.” The Neo Doctor murmured after a moment, locking eyes with Nine. He snorted at the plea, shaking his head. The other Time-Lord was clearly forgetting that he had come to this point in their history for a reason. He wouldn’t be making the mistake the two with that face had. Not after all of this, and the fact that he was not the last of his race any longer.

“Even before Rose looked into the Tardis’ heart I knew that she was something special. I never ask a second time, but I did fer her. I’ll always ask twice with her. I don’t know when that knowledge became something that we dismiss enough ta pass her off ta a supposedly human version of us- but the more I hear about yer twin the less that I like him. I can’t help but be glad that the circumstances that lead ta him won’t happen. When I regenerate, it won’t be inta the man yer twin ta. ” He replied, a hint of venom in his voice. The Neo-Doctor gave him a sad smile, but didn’t protest. After having lived through what he had with Rose he couldn’t help but agree with Nine.

“My twin, as you call him, won’t fade into being a possibility easily. I have a feeling that we’ll be seeing him at least once before everything has settled. This isn’t going to be an easy situation” He felt that he needed to warn. A dark look passed over Nine’s face at his words.

“Knowing myself, I know that much already. He’s lived, felt. Hell he’s loved even if he was to damn coward to hold onta that love. Letting all of that become a timeline that will not come to pass isn’t going to be something that idiot will want to allow.” Nine muttered, sounding frustrated. The Neo Doctor just sighed, before heading toward his rooms. He had some thinking to do, and some apologies to plan. Jack shouldn’t have needed to point out that he had reverted to the same behavior that had gotten them in this mess in the first place. Instead of talking with Rose about his fears, and including her in his crazy plan, he had taken the decision from her once again. 

* * *

Her head hurt in a way that it hadn’t in decades. That was the first thing that Rose noticed., and the pain wasn’t something mundane like a hang over either The second was a comforting presence just on the edge of her expanded awareness. She had been feeling John lately, but this was different. The presence felt older, excited but apologetic at the same time, and combined with the pain it made her want to vomit. There was too much stimulus. Too much everything. She needed it to stop so she could think.

Almost as soon as the thought that, the presence faded to just beyond her reach and she sent a sloppily compiled thanks as she took stock of herself. She was lying down somewhere, comfortable. Her hands were not restrained, and neither were her legs. All pluses when it come to the threats that she faced these days. During her assessment the memories she had from just before whatever happened surfaced and she felt her stomach drop.

Rose had come back to the safe house where she had left her husband only to find him not breathing and cold. The wound he had hadn’t been that serious, but he had been dead all the same. She had just moved closer to examine the device next to him when everything went dark. Bile rose up her throat and she sat up quickly so she didn’t choke on it. Oh god, her husband… he was… gone.

Tears built up behind her closed eyes as she tried to make herself breath through the sudden tightness in her chest. This was… It was too much. What the hell had happened and where the hell was she now? As her panic rose the comforting presence tried to sooth her mind but she lashed out at it. She didn’t want to be soothed damn it. She wanted to have not seen John lying dead in that safehouse. But that was a fools wish. The tears trapped behind her eyelids started to fall arms wrapped around her physically, and before she could lash out with her body a voice started shushing.

The soothing noises were just sounds, not understandable words, but they stopped her in her tracks. Rose didn’t need to hear whoever was holding her speak to know who it was. The feeling of the body that she had been drawn up close to, along with the scent she could smell and the sounds that had been directed towards her before told her enough identify him. As impossible as it had been before she had passed out Rose was now being held and comforted by Jack Harkness. She wrapped the arms that had been ready to fight her captor off around the long lost man and buried her face into his chest before letting herself sob. Jack just held her tighter, resting his head on hers as he continued his soothing noises.

It took a while before she was cried out, but it happened all the same and Rose was sorely tempted to just close her eyes and go back to sleep. Surely explanations and facing the death of her husband could wait just a little bit longer. It was almost too easy to try to pretend that none of the last several decades or so had happened in fact. And god did Rose want to forget everything that had happened since she had been trapped in Pete’s world. She almost wanted to forget everything that had happened after her original Doctor’s regeneration in fact. While she treasured John, his twin- the man that her big eared Doctor had turned into, had caused her so much pain.

“How are you here? After the lest time… We were trapped there once again and had no way back…” She forced herself to ask, still not opening her eyes. Jack stiffened, his arms tightening almost painfully around her, before she felt a kiss pressed into her hair and the arms relaxed so the embrace didn’t hurt.

“It’s more like you’re here than me somewhere else Dollface. I’m the least likely to cause you to either break down, or go into a rage fit so I’ve been sitting with you while you took a beauty nap after your trip. If you were crying over what I think you were, then I’m going to give that clone a punch though.” Jack murmured, his voice hesitant. It was Rose’s turn to stiffen now, and she did before she pulled away far enough to look at Jack. What she saw made her freeze.

While Jack Harkness would not die because of what she had done to bring him back during her time as the Bad Wolf… he could age. The Jack Harkness that greeted her eyes wasn’t as old as the one that she had seen last. He was so… young now. The last time she remembered him looking this young was… the Space Station. Suddenly her aching head made both made more sense and added to her confusion in a different way. How? Jack’s mention of a clone made her shake herself from the shock that seeing him so young had caused. Jack at this age didn’t know about John, couldn’t because he hadn’t come into existence yet.

“What the Hell is going on here Jack? The last thing I remember is finding my husband dead, and now I’m here and you’re young.” She blurted out after a moment. Her friend’s lips quirked slightly at the blunt demand and he gave a soft laugh.

“Soo much has happened Rosie. So much, and I gotta tell you that it kinda sucks to be the one to explain it to you, so please save any slaps for the idiot responsible. Your husband was meddling in an attempt to fix the fact that his double was an idiot and had trapped the two of you in a world that wasn’t yours and wasn’t ‘enhanced Rose’ friendly. In succeeding his attempt at meddling he left you to find the result while he carried out his plan. The moment he targeted to try and alter was only possible because you had taken in the vortex. He made it here, and was able to accomplish what he intended to do. Except Wolfie had other ideas. You, or she rather, don’t seem to take losing anyone that you hold dear, so the idiot is out there with our Doc. And I say our Doc so you know that the twin didn’t come about.” He explained, making Rose’s heart stop. Relief and rage flooded her system.

John wasn’t dead, not really. She had seen his body- the result of him killing himself once more to save her, but her alter ego had stopped him from becoming a price to keeping Rose safe this time. Of course that realization forced her to face when Jack was saying. She was no longer in Pete’s world.

Rose Tyler was no longer trapped. She was home… and her Doctor- the one that she had first traveled with- was alive. She slumped into Jack, suddenly boneless with both relief and guilt as she remembered her wish upon waking. The Doctor who had caused all of her pain would not exist, except in the reminder of his twin. In John. Sobs took over once more, and Jack just held her tighter, kissing her head.

“It’s going to be okay Rosie. It’s going to be better. We’re right here, and we’re never going to abandon you. I’ve got you, I promise.” Jack whispered into her hair, promising things that she had given up hope for so long ago. Her own arms surrounded him, and she held onto the promise that he provided with everything that she had. This was something that she welcomed and cursed. It had taken her so long to accept that her original Doctor was gone- that if she ever ran into him he would have already lived it- that she would be speaking to a memory- but that was no longer a truth.

When she saw her Doctor again, it would be a new page to their story, however long and twisted it had become. The Doctor Clad in leather, that protected his heart against getting attached to those that he took onto the Tardis with snark, would be living past the moment that had condemned him. Rose fell back to sleep crying- never minding how much time she had already lost to the activity. When she woke she would face the changes that her husband had brought down upon her with his meddling. But for now Jack eased her back onto the bed when she went limp, and curled around her to make sure that even in sleep she knew that he was there and she was safe.


End file.
